It’s no secret that St. Maarten is blessed with many outstanding women who have an important function in society. Perhaps partly because of their mother’s instinct, some employers even consider them more reliable and serious on average
than male workers.
Be that as it may, the female influence in local politics has grown steadily over the years and things will be no different when the country goes back to the polls on February 9. At least three of the parties registered to participate are expected to be headed by ladies: DP (Sarah Wescot-Williams), HOPE (Mercedes “Elektra” van der Waals-Wyatt) and Beyond SXM (Loekie Morales), while the PPA which used to have Gracita Arrindell as leader is back in the race.
It’s also clear that NA, UP, UPS and SMCP are all led by men, as is the case with OSPP, SRP and CPA, while who will top the lists of MAP and SDM has not been announced yet. Nevertheless, several women probably will play major roles in the upcoming campaign and subsequent election, including NA’s number two candidate Silveria Jacobs, who received more votes than her party leader William Marlin in 2014.
Greater involvement in government by the female population should be applauded by everybody in principle as part of the ongoing emancipation process. At the same time, citizens need to carefully weigh the pros and cons of each politician, including his or her capacity and character, but also the realistic chance of getting them elected in the first place.
Of course one single party ending up with eight seats for a majority in the 15-seat Parliament is possible, but not likely under the circumstances, so that a coalition almost certainly will have to be formed again. For example, a party that refuses to work with anyone else beforehand would therefore not be a very wise choice.
It promises to be quite a battle.
